Meatball chilli con carne recipe
Shake up your standard chilli con carne with the addition of tender meatballs – a simple change that makes all the difference in flavour. Searing the meatballs first and then finishing off cooking in the chilli sauce helps retain their juicy texture. Serve with yogurt, some crumbled salad cheese and chopped fresh coriander to bring this dish to the next level.
See method- Serves 4
- 10 mins to prepare and 35 mins to cook
- 857 calories / serving
- Freezable
Ingredients
- 500g 20% fat beef mince
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 tsp ground cumin
- 10g fresh coriander, leaves and stalks separated, stalks finely chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 mixed-colour peppers, sliced
- 1-2 chillies (to taste), finely chopped (deseeded if you like)
- 400g tin kidney beans, drained
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 beef stock cube, made up to 300ml
- 300g long-grain rice
- 4 tbsp fat-free Greek-style yogurt
- 50g reduced-fat salad cheese, crumbled, to serve
Each serving contains
- Energy
- 3595kJ 857.0kcal
- Fat
- 36g
- Saturates
- 15g
- Salt
- 2.1g
- Sugars
- 18g
of the Reference intake
Carbohydrate 91.5gProtein 40.4gFibre 10.8g
Method
- Put the mince in a mixing bowl with half the garlic, 2 tsp cumin and the coriander stalks; season well. Mix with clean hands, then divide into 16 meatballs.
- Heat the oil in a deep frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs for 6-8 mins, turning, until browned all over. Set aside on a plate.
- Add the onions and peppers to the pan and fry for 6-8 mins until soft. Add the remaining garlic, 2 tsp cumin and the chilli. Fry for 1 min, then stir in the beans, tomatoes and stock. Simmer over a medium heat for 15-20 mins until thickened slightly. Stir in the meatballs, submerging them in the sauce. Simmer for 10 mins or until the meatballs are cooked through (cut 1 in half to check).
- Meanwhile, cook the rice to pack instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Divide the rice between 4 shallow bowls and spoon over the meatball chilli. Top with 1 tbsp yogurt, a crumbling of salad cheese and the coriander leaves to serve
- See more Beef recipes
Freezing and defrosting guidelines
Freeze chilli only. In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.
- For top tips on protecting you and your family when preparing raw meat and poultry, visit Food Safety in the Home.
